Straying from the Path
by Arkitty
Summary: Under the guise of negotiating a temporary truce, the Dragonborn decides to stop both the Imperials and Stormcloaks from taking over Skyrim.
1. Season Unending

I wait patiently for everyone to be ready to negotiate a temporary truce. First comes the Imperial delegation. I wasn't expecting Elenwen, the Thalmor ambassador, to be with them, but her attendance should make this even more enjoyable.

Next, comes the Stormcloak delegation. General Tullius glares at Ulfric Stormcloak as though he wasn't looking forward to being in the same room as him without a weapon in his hand. I don't blame him.

The Blades, Delphine and Esbern, come next. They try to come up the steps and join the rest of us when they're stopped by Arngeir.

"So, Arngeir, is it? You know why we're here. Are you going to let us in or not?" Delphine asks.

"You were not invited here. You are not welcome here."

"We have as much right to be at this council as all of you. More, actually, since we were the ones that put the Dragonborn on this path."

"Were you? The hubris of the Blades truly knows no bounds."

"Delphine," Esbern steps in, "we're not here to rehearse old grudges. The matter at hand is urgent. Alduin must be stopped." He turns to Arngeir. "You wouldn't have called this council if you didn't agree. We know a great deal about the situation and the threat that Alduin poses to us all. You need us here if you want the council to succeed."

"Very well." Arngeir gave in. "You may enter." Delphine and Esbern join the rest of the group around the table. I approach Arngeir and tell him I'm ready to start the negotiations. He addresses the crowd.

"Now that everyone is here, please take your seats so we can begin. I hope that we have all come here in the spirit of-" He's interrupted by Ulfric.

"No. You insult us by bringing her to this negotiation? Your chief Talos-hunter?"

"I have every right to be at this negotiation." Elenwen insists."I need to ensure that nothing is agreed to here that violates the terms of the White-Gold Concordat." Her voice is so arrogant it makes me want to slap her.

"She's a part of the Imperial delegation. You can't dictate who I bring to this council." General Tullius says.

"Please." Arngeir looks as though he's breaking up a fight among toddlers. "If we have to negotiate the terms of the negotiation, we will never get anywhere." He turns to me. "Perhaps it would be a good time to get the Dragonborn's input on this matter." Everyone one else looks at me expectantly. Most of them angrily. I stand up.

"Elenwen can stay," I tell Ulfric. He takes a step back in surprise and opens his mouth to protest. He thought I was on his side. To be fair, I did tell him I was. Then, he closes his mouth and gives me a dirty look. "Sit down, Ulfric," I order. He looks around, reluctant to take orders from an outsider. Or anyone really. Eventually, he sits. Elenwen smirks at him from across the table.

"Now that we've got that dealt with, allow me to introduce you to the terms." I take a deep breath. "The Empire and the Thalmor will leave Skyrim-" The room would not have been louder if I had summoned a dremora and ordered it to kill everyone.

"Ha ha! Even the Dragonborn admits I am the true High King!" Ulfric shouts in triumph.

"I knew these negotiations were a waste of time," Tullius says. If looks could kill, I'd be dead.

"How dare you!" Elenwen seethes murderously. She manages to look angrier than Tullius. "The Thalmor will not be treated like this." Arngeir looks at me from the opposite end of the table in disappointment and confusion. The Blades just look confused.

"Stop!" I attempt to shout over everyone. No one listens. Fine then.

_Fus Ro Dah (Force, Balance, Push)_

Everything on the table flies off. A fork whizzes dangerously close to Delphine's head. A sweet roll smacks Elenwen in the face. The room goes silent and Arngeir glares at me. The Greybeards believe the Thu'um should only be used for the worship of Kynareth. Exceptions can be made for the Dragonborn, but I was pushing the limits.

"I wasn't done." I look at Ulfric squarely. His smile turns into a frown when he realizes the Imperials not be the only ones inconvenienced in my terms. "Ulfric will step down as Jarl of Windhelm." Everyone is more confused than before. "Neither the Imperials and the Stormcloaks are what's best for Skyrim. As long as either fight for power in Skyrim, I will plague them."

"Who what's best for Skyrim then? You?" a soft voice said beside me. This was the first time Elisif had spoken.

"No. I don't believe I'm what's best for Skyrim either. I just know these guys aren't" I answer. Elenwen stands up.

"The White-Gold Concordat states the Thalmor can operate in Skyrim to enforce the ban on the worship of Talos." she counters. I respond before Ufric can fly into a rage and make a speech about how we should be able to worship whoever we want.

"The White-Gold Concordat is an agreement between the Aldmeri Dominion and the Empire. If the Imperials are no longer in Skyrim, the Thalmor have no business here either."

"If you force us out, you will make a very powerful enemy." I think she was trying to be scary. I laugh.

"And if you don't leave Skyrim forever, you will make an even more powerful enemy." I secretly hoped she would insist on intimidating me. This was starting to get fun.

"Please. What are a few shouts going to do against the strongest army in all of Tamriel?" She counters. I stare her down.

"Who said I needed to take on a whole army. Just a commanding officer assassinated here and there. Eventually, you will fall apart." I sit down. "Unless you leave with the Empire."

"I'm pretty sure that's against the rules of war and we never agreed to leave." Tullius reminds me.

"It's not a war though. Besides, the Dark Brotherhood doesn't care what killing is against the rules."

"I never agreed to step down." Ulfric roars determined to get his own two cents in.

"You don't have a choice," I tell them. Ulfric laughs nervously.

"These are negotiations, are they not? We get a say in the final agreement."

"No, they're not. That was just a guise to get everyone to come here. This is me telling you what to do. If you don't agree to my terms I will ensure you will come to regret it." I stand up again. "Does everyone agree to my terms?" I ask.

"No. I will not be disrespected like this." Elenwen protests. I grin.

"I already told you what I'd do if you didn't."

"So you're going to hire the Dark Brotherhood to take care of a few commanding officers? That won't-"

"No." I interrupt.

"I thought you said-"

"I don't need to hire the Dark Brotherhood. I am the Dark Brotherhood."

"You mean you're a member?" Tullius asks. He reaches for his sword only to realize he left it behind for the negotiations.

"Not just a member." I smile. "The Listener." I give a dramatic little bow. I'm pretty sure everyone in this room officially wants to kill me now.

"We're not going to listen to some-" Ulfric starts.

"I wasn't asking nicely!" I shout before he can finish. I realize I've stuck my face in his, forcing him to back off.

"Tell me, traitor, what makes you so qualified to make these demands. Besides being an assassin and the Dragonborn, how would you be able to stand up to us? I'm sure you can't hold your own against three armies." Ulfric says.

"I'm so glad you asked." I genuinely am.

"I am the Dragonborn." I start reciting all of my achievements. "I am the Arch-Mage of the College of Winterhold. I am the Listener of the Night Mother. I have killed hundreds of draugr and cleared dozens of ruins. I am the leader of the Thieves Guild. I am a Nightingale of Nocturnal. I am a Thane in every hold including Solitude and Windhelm." I pause to look at Tullius and Ulfric. They look terrified. I continue. "I have killed Miraak, the first Dragonborn. I have gained the favour of 15 Daedric Princes who have ample time on their hands, and I have their artifacts. I am a member of the Companions. I have killed more dragons than I have fingers and absorbed their souls. I can call two dragons to fight for me. I have been to Apocrypha and lived. Several times. I have been to the Soul Cairn and back. I have killed a Vampire Lord with Auriel's Bow. That's not everything, but hopefully enough to convince you that I could take Skyrim for myself if I wanted to." I sit down dramatically and watch for their reactions. I was not disappointed.

Arngeir was appalled that a master of the Thu'um would such a terrible person. I figure I can probably never count on getting help from him or any of the other Graybeards ever again. Not that I needed it.

Delphine and Esbern are warriors. They seem to understand, respect and fear my power. Maybe they'll let me convince them to forget the whole Paarthurnax thing. If not, I don't need them either.

Both Tullius and Ulfric seem threatened. They look at me with more hate and fear than they've ever looked at each other with. I was pretty sure they would agree to my terms.

The only person unaffected by my speech was Elenwen. She laughs.

"Now I know you're no threat. That was obviously a bunch of lies. I'm not surprised everyone else fell for it - they're men after all, not mer - but you can honestly expect me to." The others start to look doubtful. Guess I have to fix that. I get up and walk over to stand face to face with Elenwen, who has also gotten up. Her facial expression is challenging me to do something to prove her wrong. I accept.

_Gal Hah Dov (Earth, Mind, Dragon)_

My words make her stagger backwards. When she regains her balance, her expression is blank. She says nothing.

"Does anyone else doubt me? I can bend anyone's will to mine. Even dragons'." I glare at everyone in turn. Tullius clears his throat.

"Will she recover?"

"In an hour or so."

"Oh." His voice is quiet. I wait a few more moments them walk back to my seat. I hand copies of the terms to Tullius and Ulfric.

They sign.


	2. Consequences

As soon as the papers are signed, I snatch up my copy and immediately become invisible. Being under the sign of the Shadow Stone, I can do this once a day for a short period of time. I jump backwards just in time to not be caught by everyone trying to find (and probably capture) me. I sneak out of the room a little disoriented from having invisible limbs, then out the back of the building. Then, still invisible, I jump off the edge of the mountain and consume a container of netch jelly. The jelly paralyzes me and I tumble down the side of the mountain unharmed. I land near a cave where I had conveniently left my horse, Shadowmere. I spend in the cave. I'm glad I got away as quickly as I did. The longer I hung out with those guys, the more likely they were to come to their senses and kill me.

The next morning, I decide to gather as many allies as I can. The more people helping me, the more likely I am to survive. The Thieves Guild can provide me with a source of income, the Dark Brotherhood can provide me with means of getting rid of specific people who are a threat, the Blades and Companions can provide me with backup in a fight and the College can give me a safe, guarded place to stay when I need it. I make a list:

Thieves Guild

Dark Brotherhood

Blades

College of Winterhold

Companions

They're also probably going to be targeted due to their ties with me, so I'll probably end up helping them out too. I'll start with the Thieves Guild as they're both easily found and disliked by authorities. I mount Shadowmere and head for Riften. I can see Riften in the distance when I'm ambushed by Stormcloak soldiers. I guess riding a demon horse with the Dark Brotherhood mark on its side attracts some attention. I try to stop them. As a Thane of Eastmarch and of the Rift I figured I had something to work with. Unfortunately, they didn't seem to care. Unfortunately for them, that is.

Strun Bah Qo (Storm, Wrath, Lightning)

A storm collects and lighting strikes everyone near me killing them instantly. Shadowmere gets hit too, but is able to shake it off. Probably a demon horse thing. I turn to the soldiers and loot their bodies taking arrows and coins. One of them has a note from Ulfric.

Wait in your given location. If you see anyone suspicious go by, subdue and question them. If they are the Dragonborn, kill them.

-Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak of Eastmarch

Looks like Ulfric got a few orders in before he was officially kicked out. I assume there are more ambushes out there waiting to happen. I'll have to travel more carefully.

I arrive at Riften and leave Shadowmere at the stables. For enough coin, the guy there is persuaded to not ask questions or say anything. I enter the cistern of the Thieves Guild through the secret entrance in the cemetery. As soon as open the trapdoor, I hear the sounds of fighting. The sound of blades clashing echoes very well in the cistern. Turns out the Riften Guards had decided to finally do something about the thieves in their sewers. Considering this meant defying Maeven, I'm surprised.

"There you are. What did you do? These guards are here looking for you." Brynjolf says as he notices me

"I may have upset a lot of people yesterday," I say as I join the fight. Once all the guards were dead and the entrance barricaded, all the members gather the Ragged Flagon. Brynjolf pulls me aside.

"Could you explain what that was about in greater detail?" asks Brynjolf. "The Riften Guard hasn't bothered coming down here in years."

"I kicked both the Imperials and the Stormcloaks out of Skyrim yesterday," I say. "I basically decided that the civil war wasn't going anywhere, so I forced both sides to stop fighting."

"You know what? I'm not even going to ask about that. On the other hand, how did they know to look for you here?"

"Well, in order to force them out I had to scare them a bit, so I told them I was in charge of the Thieves Guild among other things."

"Why would you do that? Now all of Skyrim is going to try to find you through us!"

"Look, I didn't mean to mention it. I just got caught up in the moment."

"Well, it's a little late for that now." I don't think I've ever seen him mad at me.

"They can't go after you if they don't know where you are. I can find the Guild a new headquarters."

"What place could be better than here?"

"I can think of many places better than the sewers."

"I know this place isn't the cleanest, but it's in a good location."

"I assume then, that you'd want to stay in the Rift. What about Ivarstead?"

"That's too far from a major city. Besides, where are we going to stay that won't attract attention?"

"There's a Barrow everyone believes to be haunted. I doubt anyone would notice if you stayed there."

"Is it actually haunted?"

"No. There was just some guy pretending to be a ghost to scare everyone away."

"That might work, but it's still too far."

"Why don't you vote on it?"

"Fine," said Brynjolf. Everyone votes. Not surprisingly, most of them want to leave the place where they could be found and attacked.

Once it's nighttime, walk over to Ivarstead. I show them the Barrow. It's smaller than I remember, but I figure it'll still do.

"This will have to do for now. You're still not completely forgiven for putting us in danger though. From now on, keep this to yourself." Brynjolf says.

"Before I leave, I have something to show you." I lead him to the puzzle door. "I have the claw necessary to open this. On the claw is a series of animals. Make sure the animals on the door match the animals on the claw, insert the claw and the door will open. This will give you access to a lot more space. I don't the claw with me right now, but I'll come back later."

He nods and I leave.

I was hoping for a little more support, but I don't blame them for being upset. I'll let them adjust to their new location before visiting again and delivering the claw. Next on my list is the Dark Brotherhood. I mount Shadowmere and ride to Dawnstar.

By the time I arrive, it's night again. This gives me plenty of cover to enter the sanctuary without being seen. Cicero notices me immediately and skips up to me gleefully.

"Listener! You're back! Let's kill someone!"

"Not now, Cicero. Soon though." He nods contently and wanders off muttering about stabbing and whatnot. I sit down casually next to Nazir.

"Any new contracts for me?" I ask.

"I told you, you carried out the last one I had. Any more contracts the Brotherhood gets will come from the Night Mother now."

"Right." I'm surprised he didn't mention the commotion I caused at High Hrothgar. It's been long enough for the news to have gotten here by now. Maybe it's because he doesn't leave the sanctuary. "I guess I'll be off in the morning then. Cicero, would you mind joining me?"

"Cicero would love to join the Listener. Are we going to kill someone?" he asks. I think back to the ambushes waiting for me.

"I think so, yes."

We're ambushed twice by Storcloaks before we made it to Sky Haven Temple. Neither groups lasted very long. Both groups had the same note from Ulfric ordering my death. Cicero had a lot of fun. I enter Sky Haven Temple after asking Cicero to stay behind. Delphine and Esbern are in the main room eating. As soon as they see me, they stand and back up a bit.

"We want nothing to do with whatever you're doing!" yells Delphine. Both of their hands are reaching for their swords.

"I'm not here to fight anyone." Their grip on their swords doesn't relax. "Oh come on! I kick the Thalmor out of Skyrim, the group that has been hunting you down since the White-Gold Concordat, and you respond like this?" They seem to consider this.

"Why are you here then?" Esbern asks.

"Well, my intervention has obviously upset many people. These people want to kill me now. I was hoping you could help to keep me from getting killed." They glare at me some more. "What happened to 'serving the Dragonborn'?" I ask.

"We told you, we're not helping you do anything until you kill Paarthurnax."

"I know you think he's evil, but he's helping me defeat Alduin."

"That doesn't make up for all the evils he committed. He used to work with Alduin."

"Now he's working against him. Doesn't that count for something?" I could tell this wasn't going anywhere. "Fine. Stay here. We don't need your help."

"We?" asked Esbern.

"Yeah, I've got a friend waiting for me just outside the Temple."

"You brought someone to our secret Temple?"

"Don't worry, he can keep a secret. Anyways, I guess we'll be off now. If you come to your senses, meet me at the College of Winterhold." I left. Cicero is still waiting impatiently outside.

"Alright, this was pointless. Let's go."

"Ooh! Where are we going this time, Listener? Are we going to kill someone?"

"Yeah, we can do some killing on the way." I send a letter to Faralda telling her to let the Blades into the College. Then, I check my list. The College is next but the Companions are closer. "We're going to Whiterun."

We didn't come across any ambushes, so we took a detour to a bandit camp and I set Cicero loose on them. Once the killing was out of his system, we visit Whiterun. My first stop is my house. I open the door and immediately stop in my tracks. The place had been raided. Most of my cupboards, barrels, and chests had been emptied. Everything on all the shelves had been pushed onto the floor. I don't keep anything of value in Whiterun; all my personal items are at my house in Solitude. Even so, I worry. This means someone out there is able and willing to break into my house, neutralize my housecarl and go through my stuff. I debate going to the hold guards about this, but there's honestly not much they can do that I can't. I'll have to check on my house in Solitude later though. I add it to my list.

Thieves Guild

Dark Brotherhood

Blades

College of Winterhold

Companions

Proudspire Manor

My next stop in Whiterun was Jorrvaskr. The Companions are good fighters. They were also likely to help their kin.

"Who is that?" Aela points at Cicero. I had forgotten he was still with me. He was being uncharacteristically quiet.

"This is Cicero. He's a friend of mine."

"Cicero is delighted the Listener thinks of Cicero as a friend!" Cicero says. Aela tilts her head in confusion and I sigh.

"So I-" I start. I'm interrupted

"Wait. One more question. What were you thinking?"

"Huh?"

"Stopping a war is a reasonable desire but in this case, you've just postponed it. As soon as you're dead, the war will continue. Why would you take an unnecessary risk for a short period of peace."

"This period of peace will last longer than you think. I don't plan on dying anytime soon."

"Well someone's going to try to kill you eventually."

"They've already tried. It just didn't work."

"Oh, yes. Cicero made sure of that. Stabby, stabby. They never saw it coming." He laughs. Aela looks concerned.

"Anyways, your concerns are part of why I came." Not true. I had just thought of it. "Do you think the companions could help come up with a more permanent fix to the war that doesn't require me being alive?"

"I suppose we could try. You do realize though, if we knew how to end the war, we would have done so already."

"I know, but now you have both sides temporarily out of the picture."

"We might be able to think of something."

"Great. Send me a letter when you think of something." I say as I leave.

I'm starting to think Cicero is getting in the way of convincing people to help me. "Cicero, maybe you should return to the sanctuary."

"Yes, the Night Mother needs tending. Cicero has been away from her for too long. Happy killing!" He runs off. That was easier than I thought it was going to be. I return to Breezehome and search it for clues as to who's responsible. A dropped item would be nice. Maybe a footprint. If I had a footprint, I could determine what kind of footwear they were wearing which might give me a lead. I also ask a few of Whiterun's citizens if they saw anyone besides me or Lydia entering my house. I was either told to leave them or alone, or that they hadn't seen anyone. Without a lead, I proceed to the College of Winterhold in the hopes of getting their help and meeting up with Delphine and Esbern

The College is easily visible long before I even reached Winterhold. As I get closer, I notice Faralda arguing with an Imperial soldier. I become invisible and sneak closer.

"I don't care who sent you, or what you say the Arch-mage has done. I can't let you in to see them." I hear Faralda say.

"I don't think you understand, General Tullius sent me." the soldier says, trying to look imposing. Faralda's taller than him so this doesn't quite work.

"That may have held some weight before he was kicked out of Skyrim. Now, I don't care."

"Can't you just let me go in and have a quick chat? I mean, what's the harm?" His tone changes from angry to exasperated. As fun as it would be to continue watching, I decide to intervene. Just as the invisibility wears off, I'm standing right behind him.

"You're right, I don't see the harm in chatting," I say. He jumps and turns around. "Faralda?" I look at her pointedly. She nods and steps aside. As the soldier walks across the bridge, I follow closely behind. Just outside the door, I stop him. "What is Tullius doing sending soldiers out to find me? He's not allowed to operate in Skyrim anymore."

"He said your terms were that the Empire couldn't fight for power in Skyrim. All I'm doing is trying to find you."

"Well, attempting to kill me counts as fighting for power in Skyrim," I say crossing my arms.

"He's not trying to kill you. He wants your help."


	3. Imperials

"I don't believe you," I tell him. My eyes narrow suspiciously.

"Just hear me out."

"Fine." I open the door to the Hall of Elements. Delphine and Esbern are waiting there. "Honestly, didn't expect to see you here. Glad you decided to help me out," I tell them.

"We're only doing this because we hate the Thalmor." Delphine clarified. "Wait. Is this the guy you brought to the Temple the other day? An Imperial soldier?"

"No. Different guy."

"What are you doing with him anyway. I thought you said the Empire wanted you dead too," asks Esbern

"I thought they did, but this guy," I gesture to the soldier, "says otherwise. He says General Tullius wants my help with something."

"With what?"

"I don't know yet." I shrug. Everyone looks at the soldier. He shifts uncomfortably a little under our combined gaze, but composes himself.

"After watching you stand up to the Thalmor, General Tullius believes you can help the Empire get rid of the Aldmeri Dominion. He requests your help in this endeavor"

"No," I decline.

"Why would you give up a chance to weaken the Dominion?" Delphine says accusingly. I try to explain.

"Right now, as much as I'd love to take down the Dominion, my job is to stay alive to prevent either side from continuing the civil war."

"Well, if you're not going to help, we will," says Esbern. Delphine nods in agreement. "Where's Tullius?" He asks the soldier.

"He's in Cyrodiil."

"Fine." I turn to the soldier. "They're going in my stead." He tries to protest but I'm already on my way out the door.

I'll admit I was slightly tempted to help before he said Tullius was in Cyrodiil. In Skyrim, I have allies. In Cyrodiil, I'd be alone. Not good when I'm trying to stay alive. I'm also guessing there are people at the border to intercept me. Even if I wanted to go I probably couldn't without being attacked.

The trip to Solitude is quiet. No ambushes, and no companions. As I walk through the city, I get a few odd looks, but no one recognizes me. I enter my house and, as suspected, it's trashed and my housecarl is gone. So many items are lying on the floor I have to pick my way across the room. I check my safe. Still intact. Good. All my important stuff is still here. I remove the claw for the Thieves Guild, put it in my bag, then sit on my bed. I take out my list and cross out 'Proudspire Manor'.

Thieves Guild

Dark Brotherhood

Blades

College of Winterhold

Companions

Proudspire Manor

Everything's crossed out now. I could check on the Thieves Guild again and give them the claw. I suppose I have nothing else to do. The next morning I get up and head for Ivarstead.

After getting rid of some unfortunate bandits, I pass by Morthal. By now, the need to find out who's responsible has grown. I figure I should search all my houses for clues. I backtrack a little and ride towards Windstad Manor. Just as I arrive, I notice a handful of Imperial soldiers leaving the building.

"Hey!" I shout. This gets their attention and two of them march up to me.

"What are you doing here, citizen?" the taller of the two asks.

"I should be asking you the same thing. This is my property. You're not supposed to be here." Then it occurred to me. "You're the ones destroying my houses, aren't you? First Tullius asks for my help, then he sends soldiers to invade my houses? And here I thought he actually respected my terms and left Skyrim." I jabbed my finger at the taller one. "Tell Tullius he'll regret this."

"What are you talking about?" he responds, completely confused. I pause, then back down a little. "First of all, we didn't do this. We're investigating-"

"Right. Just 'investigating'," I say sarcastically. "How did you know the place was ransacked if it wasn't you. There's no way you're investigating. You should be in Cyrodiil, not on my property." I point southwards. Some other soldiers wander over to hear what's going on.

"What is this about Tullius leaving Skyrim?" asked the taller one as soon as he got the chance to get a word in edgewise. "We assumed that was just a rumour the rebellious Stormcloaks started. We never got an official letter, so we never believed it." I think back to the bandits who attacked me on the way here from solitude and back off a bit.

"The letter probably got accidentally intercepted," I tell them. "I was attacked by bandits on my way here. Whoever was bringing the letter probably got attacked" They look at each other.

"Are we just supposed to take your word for it?" the shorter one asks.

"Yes."

"We can't. Not without the letter."

"Well I'm not about to go fetch it for you. You should find their bodies on the path to Solitude. Now get off my property. I don't want your help." I cross my arms. The soldiers shrug and leave along with the rest of their troop. It occurs to me that there are people who live at Windstad Manor besides me. Any of them could have reported the break in to the guards. I open my door and, sure enough, it's a mess. After a quick search without finding any clues, I give up and resume my journey to Ivarstead.

Upon arrival, I hide Shadowmere and slip into the barrow unnoticed. I find Brynjolf in the back after greeting a few people on the way.

"So, is the Guild adjusting?"

"Well, it's a big change from the Ragged Flagon but, once Delvin got it furnished, the members seem to have taken to it."

"Good to hear. How's business?"

"Surprisingly good. There are fewer people, but more gullible people. I guess the citizens of Riften were becoming more resistant to the Guild."

"Also good to hear. Do you know how Maven feels about all this?"

"No, but I can't imagine she's happy."

"I should probably pay her a visit then. Wish me luck." I hand him the claw.

"You'll need it," he mutters as I exit the barrow.

It doesn't take me long to find the matriarch of the Blackbriar family. She was walking by the blacksmith as I entered the city.

"Maven," I say as I approach her. She turns.

"You," she says angrily. I take a step back.

"Me?" I ask innocently. Maven drags me to a side road.

"I heard the Guild was attacked. When I sent someone down to check on them, they said the cistern and the Ragged Flagon were empty. Somehow, I know you're responsible."

I grin sheepishly. "Yeah, I accidentally told a whole bunch of people I was the boss if the Thieves Guild, then got them mad at me." I didn't know it was possible for her to look any angler than she already did. "But," I say quickly before she could murder me, "they're safely relocated in Ivarstead."

"And you failed to mention this to me why?"

"I had other things to deal with like all the people trying to kill me."

"Pull anything like this again, and those people will be nothing compared to me."

"Ok, ok." She didn't actually scare me, but things went smoother with her when I played along.

"Now tell me, where exactly in Ivarstead are they?"

"There's a nearby barrow everyone believes to be haunted. They're in there."

"That should do. Probably more sanitary than the sewers. Don't ever relocate the Guild without running it by me first. Consider yourself warned." With that, she turned on her heel and marched off. That could have gone a lot worse.

I figure as long as I'm here, I may as well check on my house in Riften. Unsurprisingly, it's a mess, my housecarl is gone, and a quick search reveals no clues. My next closest house is in Windhelm. I've been putting off going there in case I come across Ulfric. I'm not entirely sure where he would have gone after losing his position as Jarl, but I suspected he would stay in the city. Considering his final act as Jarl was sending soldiers after me, we didn't part on the best of terms. I really want to find who trashed my houses though. If there's any chance there's a clue in my house in Windhelm, I have to check. I'm also curious who was chosen as the new Jarl. The next day, I take off for Windhelm.


	4. Stormcloaks

Windhelm was gloomy to begin with, but as I ride up to the gate, it seems even more so than usual. I leave Shadowmere at the stables and go to enter the city.

"Halt." The guard at the door stops me. Had I been recognized? I reach for my weapon, then stop myself. If I hadn't been recognized, reaching for my weapon would give me away. I decide to play innocent.

"What's wrong? You realize I'm a Thane, right?" The guard looks nervous but still refuses to let me past.

"I'm afraid you still can't enter the city. It's under lockdown." At least he didn't stop me because he recognized me as the Dragonborn.

"Why?" I ask.

"There's been an outbreak of a disease. The Jarl asks that I keep everyone out of the city for their own protection." I guess that makes sense, but I still need to find out who's been destroying my houses.

"Thank you for warning me, but I'll be fine. Let me in."

"I really can't let you in. Jarl's orders," he said stubbornly. I ponder for a moment before pulling out a small pouch of coins.

"Would you let me for this?" I ask.

"I...suppose. Just know that if I let you in, I can't let you out again."

"That's fine." I'll figure that out later. For now, I need entrance to the city. The guard hesitantly steps aside and I go through the gates.

For a city that supposed to be sick, everyone seemed to be going about their business as usual. I look around for someone to ask what is going on. This wasn't hard as there were several people walking in the streets. I walk up to one of them.

"Hello-" I tried to say, but I was interrupted.

"Do I know you?"

"No, I don't live here. Well, I have a house here, but I spend most of my time travelling. I just came to-" I stopped because she had started backing away. "Why are you-?"

"You just entered the city?"

"Yes, I just said that. How is that a problem?" I'm really confused now. If anyone should be backing away, it should be me. She was the one who was most likely to be sick.

"Are you sick?" she asks. What's going on? Shouldn't I be asking that?

"No, why would I be sick?"

"How could you not know? The Jarl said he wasn't letting anyone in the city because there was a sickness spreading and he wanted to keep his city safe." She looked at me suspiciously while I looked at the Palace of Kings suspiciously. "Are you sure you're not sick?" she asks again.

"Yes, I'm sure,' I shout over my shoulder as I run off towards the Jarl's building leaving her bewildered.

I walk up to the doors and am stopped again by a guard. What is it with all this security?

"Halt. Who are you?" he asks me. I'm not sure if I should be glad or offended that no one recognized me.

"I'm a Thane. Step aside," I order him. He does so and I open the door. As soon as I can see the throne on the other side of the room, I stop. Once I recover I shout "How dare you!" at the man sitting there. "You signed to my terms, then you turn around and completely disregard them? You talk about honour, but even Tullius had more honour than you. He respected my terms." By now I had marched up right in front of him. Ulfric turned to his steward.

"Did I not tell you they'd come back claiming I agreed to step down. I mean, that doesn't sound like something I'd do, does it?" His steward shook his head.

"Why are you still trying to keep your ruse intact? I have… okay, nevermind, I left my copy of the terms you signed somewhere else. How does no one believe me? Where's Galmar? He was there at High Hrothgar. He knows what happened." I look around but can't find him. "What have you done to him?" I accuse.

"Do realize how insane you sound? There is no way I would have stepped down as Jarl and Galmar is upstairs fully aware of that fact." Ulfric motions for some guards to come over. "My Thane is obviously a danger to themselves and those around them. I strip them of their title and order them to be arrested for the safety of this city and province." At first, I resist and advance on him.

_Fus Ro Dah (Force, Balance, Push)_

Ulfric's shout throws me backward into the table. I'm so shocked I don't resist any further. I'm not used to having the Thu'um used against me so effectively. Resisting and killing the guards wouldn't help my case anyway. I'm taken through the barracks and into the dungeons. All my items are taken from me and I'm locked in a cell and assigned a guard to watch me. I could hear him being ordered not to open the door under any circumstances. Not even if the building was on fire. I'm angry but I can't do much more than glare at everyone until I'm left alone with my babysitter. As soon as everyone else leaves, I inspect my cell. It's small with some food on a table. There is no way I'm going to stay here. Look at the guard who already looks bored. I open my mouth to say something but he stops me.

"I should warn you, I've been instructed to shock you with magic if you get anything including talking to me or anyone else."

"Since when do Windhelm guards know magic?" I barely manage to get it all out before I get shocked. I didn't hurt, but it was a little jarring.

"I trained at the College before deciding I'd rather do something useful," he tells me. I smile.

"Did you know I'm the Arch-mage?" I get shocked again. Against anyone else, it would have been unbearably painful. To me it was just annoying.

"I don't care. I no longer care for the College. My orders now are to keep you here." Alright then. I sit down on the chair in my cell and stare at him until nighttime. My plan wouldn't work against a mage. Once I could no longer hear stuff going on in the main room, I assumed it was night and they were all asleep. This is confirmed when another guard comes to take the next shift.

"Do you know magic too?" I ask as soon as the first guard had left the room.

"No, but I can choose not to answer your questions."

"Not doing a very good job of that," I mention. The new guard looks angry at himself for answering my first question. "So were you also told to leave me in here if the building's on fire?" He doesn't react. "And what are you going to do if I try something. You can't stop me without opening the door." He's keeping his face impressively neutral. "I see," I say. I cast Fury at him. They really should take precautions against mages in their cells. Overcome with magical rage, he has to attack whoever is closest. In this case, it's me. The only way he can get to me is by opening the door. Magical rage overpowers the orders he was given. He opens the door and takes out his sword.

_Gal hah dov (Earth, Mind, Dragon)_

Unable to do anything against me, the guard stands in the middle of my cell. I take his key, leave the cell, close the door and lock it behind me. I then stick to the side of the room making sure no one heard the commotion. Fortunately, they were all asleep and no one came down to find me escaping. I sneak through the barracks and recover my stuff. Then, I sneak upstairs. After a few tries, I find Galmar's room. I can't shout this soon after my escape so I prepare the spell Calm. I cast it on him immediately after I wake him up.

"You're not supposed to be here," he tells me.

"I know, I just wanted to know why you went along with Ulfric's plot to keep his position."

"I'm loyal to Ulfric." I'm not sure how long the Calm spell will last.

"Why?" I ask him. "He's no longer Jarl and has lost his honour by trying to get out of my terms."

"I swore my loyalty. If I betray him I'll be breaking my oath." I sigh and reapply the Calm spell.

"Helping him regain his honour by forcing him to carry out my terms isn't betrayal. Letting him get away with this is betraying him."

"You have a point," he mutters.

"Will you help me convince everyone that Ulfric needs to step down?"

"Maybe." He seems unsure and looks like he's struggling with the spell preventing him from attacking me.

"I'll be at my house in the city if you make a decision." It was probably a bad idea to tell Ulfric's right-hand man where I was going to be, but without his help, no one will listen to me. I cast the Calm spell one last time to give me the most time to get away and slip out of his room.

Once back at my house, I have nothing better to do, so I start tidying up the mess. At dawn, I hear a knock on my door. As much as I hope it's Galmar, I guess I don't get lucky all the time.

"You're under arrest," the guard at my door tells me. I hit him with a calm spell to give me some time to think. The guard could be here because Galmar told Ulfric where I would be. On the other hand, this is my house and it makes sense to look for me here. Either way, I need to go back to the Palace of Kings eventually. I push past the pacified guard and speed walk to the Palace. I don't get very far into the building before I'm grabbed from both sides by more guards. The guard who came to my house runs up behind me.

"You know you can't keep this up forever," I shout at Ulfric as I shake the guards off. "Arresting me isn't going to work and you can't kill me." I look around but I don't see Galmar. "Tell everyone the truth and I'll forgive you."

"I don't know what you're talking about. There's no big truth to tell. You're right about arresting you not working though. My soldiers will now kill you on sight."

"You would send your soldiers on suicide missions? For what? So you can sit on a throne?" I push away the first few guards who attacked me. "I warned you. And I thought you of all people would understand the power masters of the Thu'um had." He opens his mouth to shout but I beat him to it.

_Tiid Klo Ul (Time, Sand, Eternity)_

All the guards rushing towards me are caught in the slowing of time. I weave through them and walk up to Ulfric. Up close he looks afraid. I take out Mehrunes Razor and stab Ulfric with it. It kills him instantly. The shout wears off shortly after and the guards, realizing I'm no longer where I was before, look around to find me next to Ulfric's dead body.

"As of a few days ago, Ulfric has been lying to you. He gave up his position as Jarl to stop the war, then isolated the city with lies of a disease. He gave up his last chance to tell the truth and is dead. If any of you try to stop me from leaving, I will kill you too." I announce. I look into the other room and, from my new position, I can see Galmar looking at me. I can't read his expression. I'm not going to bother dealing with him. I leave. No one tries to stop me.


	5. Thalmor

I can't believe I took the others actually respecting my terms for granted. I also regret not punching Ulfric in the face. I fume my entire trip to the Thalmor Embassy. If there are any Thalmor agents still there, I promise to punch them in the face. Especially Elenwen. They won't get more than one chance to leave. As I come up to the embassy, I can see figures beyond the gates. I decide to go in, not from the front, but from the trapdoor in the dungeons. To get to the trapdoor, I have to go through an empty troll cave. I use a bucket to climb onto the ledge and enter through the trapdoor with the key I still have from my first visit here.

From the dungeons, I sneak upstairs and hide in one of the rooms. I'll eavesdrop for some more information before chasing everyone out. It doesn't take long for me to overhear a conversation.

"Did you check all the houses?" a first voice asks.

"Yes, the Dragonborn wasn't at any of them. Trust me, we searched very thoroughly," replies a second voice. So it's the Thalmor who are responsible.

"And the housecarls?" asks the first voice. I now recognize the voice to be Elenwen's.

"Dealt with," is the response.

"Did they know anything about the Dragonborn's location?"

"No."

"Do we have any leads?" I could tell she was getting increasingly upset.

"No."

"Is there any way the Dragonborn knows we're still in Skyrim?"

"No, we left no trace." Other than my stuff all over the floor. Not very discreet.

"And they haven't come by the embassy?"

"No." Not true, but they don't know that.

"Very well. Keep searching and keep me updated."

"Of course." I heard footsteps leaving the room. I quietly applied a paralyzation potion to a dagger. I sneak behind and slash Elenwen's arm. Then I punch her in the face causing her to fall on her back in the same position she was standing in.

"I told you to leave," I hiss angrily at her. "I'm going to kill you all after you tell me what you've done to my housecarls." I put away the regular dagger and take out Mehrunes Razor. I wait for the paralyzation to wear off. When I do, Elenwen stands up and is about to call for backup when I shove my blade against her throat.

"You can't beat the Aldmeri Dominion. Even if you kill me, and everyone in this building, you will be hunted down and killed," she informs me.

"What have you done to my housecarls?"

"Bribed them. All except one who wouldn't leave for anything we offered her. The one in Whiterun. What was her name?"

"Lydia. And there's no way my housecarls would give in to bribery."

"They do if you have all the funds of the Aldmeri Dominion at your disposal. Not that I even had to use that much. It was rather easy actually." I scowl. She can tell I'm close to actually finishing her off. "There's only one way this ends well for you," she says, trying to convince me not to kill her.

"How's that?"

"Swear loyalty to the Dominion. If you use your skills for us instead of against us, we would have no reason to kill you. You'd live a long happy life with riches-" I stop her.

"I don't need riches. You've been to all be houses. All _eight_ of my houses. Does that sound like someone with financial issues to you?" She doesn't answer. "I don't fear the Dominion. If they continue chasing me down I will end them." Elenwen laughs as much as she can with a blade against her throat.

"If you cannot recognize true power when you see it, you will die. Killing me won't prevent that."

"It might make me feel better," I say.

"How? You aren't accomplishing any more than senseless murder. You could do way more than that by joining the Dominion." She was right. Killing her wouldn't accomplish anything. I still wasn't going to join the Aldmeri Dominion though. I push Elenwen away. She staggers back.

"I knew you were smart. You'll make a useful ally," Elenwen says, placing her hand over her arm where I cut her. I shake my head.

"I told you, I'm not going to join you. I just agree that killing you won't help fix anything."

"What can I do convince you? Surely there's something you want." She says staying on her side of the room, a good distance from me. "You risked everything for peace. Perhaps leaving Skyrim would be enough?"

"You," I laughed pointing at her with the dagger. Not quite as threatening from across the room. "If you wanted peace you would have left immediately. You're going to leave Skyrim anyways. If not willingly, then because I make you."

"I'm sure-"

"No! I'm not going to join the Dominion. You were the ones egging on the war. You benefited from it. You're not going to stop just to get me on your side." My shouting alerted other agents to my intrusion. They started to attack but Elenwen stopped them.

"I've got this. The Dragonborn will either join us or die here."

"See? Again with the death threats. I should have killed you a minute ago." I wave my dagger at the group making them all a little uneasy. "You guys keep going on about the Empire respecting the White-Gold Concordat yet here you are while the Imperials have all accepted defeat and returned to Cyrodiil."

"Actually," explained Elenwen. "we're not here with the Imperials anymore. We're here on our own. If we can't conquer Skyrim with the Empire's help, we'll do it on our own."

"This is why no one likes you," I say walking towards her, dagger raised.

"We don't need people to like us. We need them to fear us. Killing you is exactly what we need. If we show Skyrim we've overcome their mightiest hero, they'll understand and respect our power."

"What are you going to do against the dragons?"

"What?" Her smirk was replaced with confusion.

"You realize I'm the only one who can permanently kill a dragon, right? Any attempts you make will be useless."

"Maybe we do need you alive then. Arrest the Dragonborn," she orders, turning to the agents beside her. I sigh and lower my weapon, exasperated. I'm starting to get tired of getting detained.

"Last chance Elenwen. Leave Skyrim with the rest of the Thalmor."

"We both know that's not going to happen. I believe you're already familiar with our dungeons. That is, after all, how you escaped the first time you were here." She stands back as her agents advance. Before they got the chance to cast any spells, I shout.

Gal Hah Dov (Earth, Mind, Dragon)

The agents, including Elenwen, stop, forced to fight for me rather than against. I stand there unsure what to do with them. I could kill them, but I try not to murder people not trying to kill me or who have a contract out for them. On the other hand, I feel like I should do something to punish them for being a thorn in my side. I decide to loot the embassy, removing anything of value. I make sure to take any documents that might have important information. Turns out they have a dossier on me. I burn it. As I leave the embassy, I can hear running upstairs. The effects of the shout must have worn off. They don't notice me as I slip away.


	6. Finale

Dawnstar isn't too far from the embassy. I enter the Dark Brotherhood sanctuary.

"Listener! You're-" Cicero starts.

"Yes. Hello, Cicero. I need a minute."

"Of course, Listener. Cicero will be over here tending to Mother." He skips away over to the Night Mother's corpse humming. I go down the stairs and interrupt an initiate who was cooking.

"I have a contract for you." The initiate looks at me, recognizes me, and stands a little straighter.

"Yes, Listener?" they say. I write down the information on a nearby piece of paper.

Elenwen

Thalmor Embassy in Haafingar

Only after if she is still there after 3 days

"Make sure you're not caught," I warn them. "If she leaves within three days, don't kill her and you'll still get the pay." They nod and take off. I leave from the other exit. Three days should be long enough. I've given her enough warnings already.

At this point, I'm not sure what to do. I've checked on everyone who agreed to something at the meeting in High Hrothgar. I've visited all of the factions I'm a part of and figured out who was trashing my houses. I remember I had asked Aela and the Companions to come up with a more permanent solution. It's a little late for that considering I killed Ulfric and sent an assassin after Elenwen. I'll let them know I don't need them to come up with a solution anymore.

I spend the night in Morthal. The next morning, I've barely made it out of town before a man runs up to me. I reach for my weapon preparing for a fight.

"I've been looking for you. Got something I'm supposed to deliver - your hands only." He takes a note out from his bag and hands it to me. I take my hand off my weapon and take the note.

We need to talk.

-Arngeir

Surprised he wants to see me after High Hrothgar. I write a note to send back to him.

I'm in the middle of something. I'll be over in a few days.

I give the courier my response. He takes it and leaves.

"Aela," I call as soon as I enter Jorrvaskr. She's sitting at one of the tables and hears me.

"Glad you're still alive. We heard what happened in Windhelm," she says.

"He deserved it for disregarding the terms he signed to."

"I hope you're not here for that more permanent solution we discussed. The Companions haven't been able to come up with anything that doesn't involve killing everyone."

"Tullius is in Cyrodiil, Ulfric is dead and Elenwen should be on her way back to Summerset Isle. I think I've got it pretty permanent already."

"I guess so."

"Thanks for trying." I pat her on the shoulder and leave.

I have two more things I want to do before taking a break. This first is in Ivarstead.

"Brynjolf, I need to talk to you." I pull him aside and lower my voice. "Considering how much I'm not here, and how I forced the Guild to relocate once already, I think you should take over as boss of the Guild."

"If you say so."

"Really? No argument?"

"No, I think you're right. You're welcome to continue operating with the Guild but I think someone else should be in charge."

"And I chose you."

"Very well. I'll go inform Maven."

"Good luck."

My next and final stop is High Hrothgar, where all this insanity started. The climb was relaxing and gave me time to reflect. I regret killing Ulfric, but he gave me little choice. If Elenwen stays in Skyrim, she has it coming. She's had enough warnings. I reach High Hrothgar.

"We think you should stop working with us, Dragonborn," Arngeir tells me as soon as I see him. He asked to see me to tell me he doesn't want to see me anymore?

"Why? I just stopped a war."

"By intimidating both parties into submission. There were other ways of handling it. I also heard what you've been up to since. You killed Ulfric Stormcloak. That is unforgivable."

"Is it because he trained here? As I recall, he left you guys to fight in the Great War."

"No," he says, shaking his head. "It is because you have used the Thu'um for violence and personal gain."

"Personal gain? I used it to stop a war. How is that personal gain?" I throw my arms up in frustration. Arngeir doesn't flinch.

"It's not the end but the means we are concerned with. You have killed many people in your endeavor for peace."

"And in doing so, I prevented many other people from dying." It was infuriating that they weren't even the least bit grateful.

"If you had any patience, no one would have had to die. Instead, you fling yourself out there solving all your problems by killing them."

"At least I solved the problem," I shout. "I didn't see the Greybeards doing anything to permanently stop the war. You were just concerned with a temporary fix." I notice some of the Greybeards taking a defensive stance in response to my anger.

"A temporary fix was at least a step in the right direction," Arngeir says in a tone one would use with a child. I'm not a child.

"You know what? I don't think I want to talk to you either." I turn on my heel and storm out of High Hrothgar. I thought they would at least be a little happy with the end of the war. Maybe just a little bit grateful. Instead, they blame everything on me. Instead of a pat on the back or a 'thank you', I get kicked out of High Hrothgar. How is that fair? It occurs to me that no one has thanked me. All I've gotten are 'what were you thinking' and 'I'm gonna kill you'. Not one 'thank you'. I stop and turn around. What good are they if they don't appreciate all I've done and sacrificed for the end of the war? Not just the Greybeards, but everyone. I pull out my weapon and climb the steps to High Hrothgar.


End file.
